Wow, these past few weeks have been amazing. There are many reasons that I say this, but in this post I wanna tell you guys a little bit more about a few specific ones. I spent the last week in Colorado, celebrating the marriage of my uncle Mike to my new aunt Kim. We got to explore the Garden of the Gods, hike the seven bridges trail, and go white-water rafting. Best of all, obviously, was the beautiful backyard wedding. Not only was the wedding absolutely beautiful, but the love between these two people is beautiful beyond words. Spending the week with family, celebrating this love, was absolutely amazing.

On the seven bridges trail

Gracie doing the most to get a good picure of Johnnie

My adorable sisters

Model status

We loved Garden of the Gods

My favorite wedding dates!

Before we left for the wedding, though, I had the honor and privelege of helping arrange my sister’s engagement! I can’t wait to finally have a brother, and I couldn’t be happier that the brother I’m getting is Danny. The proposal was beautiful, and I’m so glad I was able to witness it. Now beginning the countdown to the wedding!

One of the engagement photos I took

Pure excitement

Switching gears from all the wedding talk, a few weeks ago I decided that I wanted to explore more of the world (the Italy posts have been giving me wanderlust!). A few years ago, my sister took a 35-day trip through a company called EF. She traipsed across Europe, seeing more sights than many people see in a lifetime, and meeting lifelong friends. After plenty of careful consideration, I decided I wanted to take a trip of my own, and booked myself a spot in their European Summer trip. You can check out the trip details here. I am ecstatic to have this opportunity, but understand that it is not coming easy. If you need me, I’ll be working all day every day until I head out for this trip. Totaly worth it.

The general itinerary of my trip. Eep!

Last bit of exciting news! Probably the most exciting for me! As many of you know, I have a passion for writing. I mean, you’ve gotta love writing to keep up a blog. I absolutely love creative writing, specifically, though. I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember. I try to submit my stories to as many contests and publishing opportunities as possible, but I’ve never had any luck… UNTIL NOW! Yep, I’m getting published! A while back, I had someone from Z Publishing House reach out to me because they had seen my writing here on the blog, and they asked if I would submit to their latest anthology of short stories. Yesterday I received word that my work was selected to be featured in their next publication! I’m so grateful for this blog, and I love writing it, and it’s through instances like these that I can see just how much my work is paying off. The story to be featured is Pressure, if you’re interested in reading it! Once we’re closer to the publication date, I’ll post more information about where you can find/purchase the book!

The last few weeks have been so amazing, and I know that there’s only more of this pure happiness to come. Especially tonight, when I go to the Panic! At The Disco concert with my little sisters. I can’t wait!